Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) Said That It Is the Responsibility of Schools To Provide Aadhaar Enrolment & Update Facility To Their Students

Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) today said that it is the responsibility of schools to provide Aadhaar enrolment and update facility to their students and ensure that no children are deprived/denied of admission and other facilities including their due benefits or rights for wants of Aadhaar. Any such denials are invalid and not permitted under the law.
UIDAI said that some instances have come to its notice that few schools are denying admission to children for want of Aadhaar. In this regard, Schools have to make sure that no child is denied of admission and other due benefits for the lack of Aadhaar. After admission of students in schools, the schools should provide Aadhaar enrolment and update facility to such students.
UIDAI in a circular titled “No denial of admission in schools for want of Aadhaar and Organising Special Aadhaar Enrolment/update camps at schools”, issued today, has said that for children who are not yet assigned an Aadhaar number or whose biometrics in Aadhaar database is not updated, it shall be the responsibility of the schools under Regulation 12A of Aadhaar (Enrolment and Update) Regulations to arrange to provide for Aadhaar enrolments and biometric update of such students.

CEO UIDAI Dr. Ajay Bhushan Pandey said that it is the responsibility of the schools to organize special camps in their premises in coordination with local banks, post offices, state education department and district administration. “Till Aadhaar number is assigned or biometrics are updated for such students, all facilities should be extended through alternate means of identification and by following the exception management process” as laid down in Cabinet Secretariat‘s OM Dated 19th December 2017.
UIDAI said that in order to avoid any hardship to children or their parents in availing school admission, other benefits, etc. for the want of Aadhaar, it is obligatory on State Government/s to arrange through its education department and district administration to organise Aadhaar enrolment camp in all the schools, at least twice a year by making school-wise roster for the same. In order to augment the state effort in organising enrolment camp, the State/s may also co-ordinate with banks and post offices either to organise camp in nearby schools or children may be arranged to be taken to Aadhaar Enrolment and Update centre/s located at nearby banks/post offices. The list of Aadhaar centres in banks and post offices are provided at www.uidai.gov.in.

It may be noted that Aadhaar number is being asked from school children for availing admissions, obtaining scholarships, attending various Boards’ and other examinations, participating in various competitive examinations, etc. Also, mandatory update of biometrics in Aadhaar is required for children on attaining the age of 5 and 15 years to ascertain validity of their Aadhaar number assigned earlier. It is, therefore, necessary on Schools to arrange to provide Aadhaar enrolment and biometric update facilities to students without causing any hardships to them.